Counterflashing assembly



Jan. 16, 1951 J. J. FRY 2,538,240

COUNTER FLASHING ASSEMBLY Filed July 20, 1946 FIG-4 '.\64

JOHN J. FRY INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 16, 1951 man COUNTERFLASHING ASSEMBLY John J. Fry, Bremerton, Wash., assgnor to Fry Reglet Company, Bremerton, Wash., a corporation of Washingtonv Appiiation July 2o, 194s, 4serial No. 685,222

This invention relates to a counterflashing assembly for use in building construction and, more particularly, to a reglet and counterashing and strip sealing elements useful in waterproofing an I upwardly turned edge of a roof and deck cover- For the purpose of simplifying the description and disclosure, I shall confine my description toA a typical installation of my invention in parapet and foundation Walls, but it Will be obvious to those skilled in the art, that there will be other installations in association with the same or other elements, in which case the invention will nevertheless be practiced, and Iwish to state specifically that it is with every Aintention of avoiding undue limitation, and purely for simplification of this application that I thus confine myself.

There have been many forms of reglet produced, as shown by the prior art, for sealing roof and deck coverings around theiredges which are upturned to a peripheral wall.. A variety of complicated metal structures have been developed and used in certain instances, but my wide experience in building construction has disclosed disadvantages and undesirable results Vfrom these prior art devices thatreduce or preclude their use to any appreciable extent. For example, particularly diicult typeswof reglet from the standpoint of use and of constructions are shown in the Hanson patents vof August l, 1939, No. 2,168,204, and October 29, `1940, No. 2,219,992. In these instances, both elaborate and expensive machinery is required, `and when the reglet and counterflashing is installed, a ledge results on the wall, which is a natural point of accumulation of dirt, snow, Water, ice and the like, as Well as interfering With a close approachvto the wall around the edge of a roof or deck. The natural' result is that this structure'would be crushed'or 'deformedan'd possibly sprung open, to the endthat leaks result. Other prior inventors have found it necessary, even though they have succeeded in embedding the reglet, to provide locking means which is either practically non-removable or, if removable, stands out from the wall in an objectionable manner, and therefore interferes with fre passage or is subjectrto rattling and self-loosening in the event of rattling due to the Wind or the like.

` Still other reglets form a trap or groove into which moisture may arrive, and in which it may freeze, causing unnecessary internal pressure, or rusting, as in the case of ferrous metal. Further, it has been my experience that relatively highly skilled labor is necessary, both to install and as-v semble the prior art counter-flashing assembly, thus naturally imposing an undue cost upon both construction and maintenance of a building embodying these inventions.

Having in mind these and other objections to the prior art devices, it is among the prime objects of my invention to provide a counter-flashing assembly which may be embeddedin the mortarofa concrete or a brick Wall, which lies flush withthe outer face of the Wall to cover an upturned edge of a roof or deck covering, which may be sealed against the entrance of water to a non-leaking condition rapidly and simply by the most unskilled labor With but the simplest of tools, which Will be non-rattling and non-loosening over long periods of time, `thus lessening the necessity of attention, which may be sealed Without grouting by mortar or the other more difficult plastic materials commonly used, and which may be removablel easily and quickly in the event that the covering material that has been flashed is to be replaced or repaired, or for inspection purposes, without injury of any nature to the elements ofthe assembly,and which, therefore, may be replaced with theA original parts for the production of an equally tight and sealed Wall, as in the case of new materials. l v

The foregoing objects, and others ancillary thereto, I prefer to accomplish as follows: i

According to a preferred embodiment of'my invention, I provide, in a flashing construction, a reglet Vof form-sustaining sheet metal to be embedded in a Wall, including a pair of spaced apart parallel entrant Walls which form therebetween an entrant channel when in'place in a Wall. Other Walls, such as a front and rear Wall, and a cover Wall, integrally associated With the entrant wall, define an inner chamber Which is in communication v vith the entrance channel. The Vchannel is arranged with respect to the chamber so that the former lies Vgenerally below the main ,position occupied by the chamber in the Wall. 'Ihe walls dening the chamber also function to form an interlocking and-embedding element that serves to prevent accidental dislodgment of the reglet from the VWall in Which it is embedded. In connection with the reglet in l relation to the lower channel wall I2.

use, I employ a flashing strip having a flange to f be disposed in the entrant channel and a tongue generally upwardly directed to be disposed in the inner chamber. The flashing generally depends below the reglet when in position, and overlies an upturned edge of roof covering or deck covering normally used. Preferably, the space between the upper face of the. flange on the flashing and the upper wall of the entrant channel is sealed by means of a semi-flexible, slightly compressible rope or wire-like element. Specifically, I have found that a rope formed of pure or alloyed lead is most suitable for this purpose, as it has fairly good tensile strength, is slightly plastic, is very durable, and may be handled with a reasonable degree of roughness without injury or total breakage, and, when of a size properly calculated to occupy the (space in which it is positioned, will effectively wedge and seal the flash-ing into the reglet in a watertight and extremely workmanlike manner. If it is desired, caulking mastic or other caulking materials may be also employed in connection with the sealing rope, or without its use in certain installations.

The novel features that I consider` characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its4 organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following descriptionof a specific embodiment, when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

.Figurerl is a view in cross=section of an ass sembled template and reglet secured to a .portion form-wall;

Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating a method of the assembly of a hashing into a reglet;

Figure v3 is a perspective View of a reglet in a concrete wall, with flashing in position therein and showing the sealing means;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional View of an assembled reglet, flashing and sealing element in a brick wall;

Figure 5 is a View similar to Figure 4 and in cross-section, showing a vmodied reglet element;

`Figure 6 is an assembly of a reglet and seal element. together with a rodent or vermin guard useful in foundation walls; and

Figure '7 is a cross-sectional view of -a reglet according to my invention.

In the preferred showing of my reglet of .Figure 7, .it will be seen that the same is produced of form-sustaining sheet metal, or the equivalent, and comprising a plurality of walls that may be created by an extrusion or a rolling process with -speed and simplicity. It is to be comprehended that the reglet may be produced in molds of thermo-setting plastic materials, as well as of metal and the like. The reglet comprises an upper channel wallV I0 and a lower 'channel wall I2. which arranged in spaced apart relation, either horizontally or from the outside inward with a slight rise. The upper wall joins with an angularly disposed front wall I4 and the rear wall I6 is similarly joined angularly with Between the front and rear walls is a cover wall I8, preferably concavo-convex. It will be noted that walls I4, I6 and I 8 generally define. together with a portion of the lower wall I2, a truncated frustum. The broadest portion is upward Vvand the' narrower portion downward. A groove 2D is formed adjacent the juncture of walls I0 and I4, and a flare is created by employing an obtuse angle between walls I2 and I6. The juncture of walls I4 and I8 forms the front locking horn 24 of the frustum, and the similar juncture of walls I6 and I8 creates the rear locking horn 28 of the frustum. An entrant channel 28 lies between the upper channel wall l0 and the lower channel wall I2, and the walls I4, I6 and I8 define the inner chamber 30, which is in communication with the channel 28.

A desirable flashing to be used with my reglet is an element as shown in Figures 3 and 4 particularly, comprising a face wall 36 having an upper angularly disposed flange 38 for positioning in the entrant channel of the reglet, and a further angularly disposed tongue 40 along the edge of the ange 38 and for positioning in the inner chamber of the reglet.

In the installation of the reglet in a concrete wall I employ a template 4 which is preferably of metal, having foot flanges that may be secured by tacks 48 to a form wall 46 and a ridge or tongue to be inserted into the entrant channel 28 of the reglet. The reglet is secured to the template by an anchor hook 58 which, as shown in Figure 1 comprises a nail bent in itsmid-portion to engage over the reglet, its pointed end having been driven into the form-wall. When the concrete wall has been cast and the form-wall is stripped therefrom, the template will be withdrawn from the entrance channel of the reglet and the anchor hook will also withdraw Yfrom the form-wall, and any protruding ends may be cut oif in any desirable manner. Such a concrete .parapet wall B0, or a concrete foundation wall 62, having footing 63, will be read57 for flashing.

The installation of the reglet into the mortar of a brick wall is equally simple, since the mason when he reaches that course above which he is to place the reglet, will apply his mortar in the usual manner, embedding the reglet in the mortar, so that when the latter becomes set, the reglet will be inter-lockably placed therein. Such a brick wall is indicated by the numeral S4 in Figure 4. In the case of roofs or a decking 68 which usually approaches the parapet or wall. normally in a substantially horizontal plane, it

' is quite customary to form the cant 7s at the juncture between the deck and the wall being flashed. The roof covering is placed upon the deck 'and traverses the cant and is upwardly directed on a face of the wall. either 6D, 62 or 64, so that its upturned edge terminates adjacent the lower wall of the reglet.

I have suggested in Figure V2 the manner .in which this roof covering is then sealed around these upturned edges. The workman inserts Athe tongue and flange of the flashing into, first the entrant channel and then the tongue comes to rest 'at a slightly upward inclination in the inner chamber of the reglet. Next the face wall 3 6 is brought downward and generally flush with the roof covering. Thereupon, the workman inserts between the upper face of the an'ge 38 and the .innerv face of channel wall IS! a strip of Vsealing material, such as the leaden rope or wire 8i). It is desirable that the cross-section of such rope be substantially the same as the space between the wall into which it will be placed, although a slight oversize is preferable. When the sealing strip is forced into place, the flange is compressed against the lower channel wall I2 tightly, so that the face wall 3S of the flashing will tend to press tightly against the roof covering 12.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figure 5, the reglet 96 has a front wall 9i which joins with the upper channel wall Q2 at an obtuse angle to dene an inner chamber that has roughly the shape of a parallelogram, The important function of the walls dening the inner chamber, aside from actually producing the chamber, is to provide an interlocking element; the reglet 9i! in that respect functions very com parably to the reglet shown in the preferred form of the invention.

When it is desired to repair a roof or to remove the flashing for inspection purposes, the sealing element may be grasped and withdrawn from the entrant channel and the dashing easily lifted out of place without deformation. Likewise later reassembly can be made, all without injury to any of the parts and without requiring skilled labor.

While I have described a `specic embodiment oi' my invention, it is to be understood that minor changes and alterations may be made within the scope and purview of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A flashing construction, comprising: a reglet of form-sustaining sheet metal embedded in a building wall and including a pair of spaced# apart, superpcsed entrant walls lying inward from the building wall face, and means integral with said entrant walls defining a chamber lying above said lower entrant wall and rising to a` d upper edge lies above the upper entrant wall and contacts the means defining said chamber; and a leaden wire between said flange and the upper entrant wall pressing the flange to the lower entrant wall.

2. A flashing construction, comprising: a reglet of form-sustaining sheet metal embedded in a building wall and including a pair of spacedapart, superposed entrant walls lying inward from the building wall face, and means integral with said entrant walls dening a chamber lying above said lower entrant wall and rising to a point above said upper entrant wall within the building wall; a flashing strip having a flange inserted between said entrant walls and resting upon the lower entrant wall, said flashing strip having a facing portion depending below said lower entrant wall and against 'the building wall, said ilange having an upstanding tongue disposed at an obtuse angle thereto positioned in said chamber and being of a height so that its upper edge lies above the upper entrant wall and contacts the means defining said chamber; and means between said ange and the upper entrant wall pressing the ange to the lower entrant wall.

JOHN J. FRY.

REFERENCES CITED rlhe following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

